VIDEO: Cool New Spin on David Černý’s Prague Kafka Statue

This new MEL Films clip showcases David Černý’s 45-ton rotating Franz Kafka statue in Prague it in all its glitchy, gyrating glory

Dave Park

Written by Dave Park Published on 29.11.2016 13:54:57 (updated on 29.11.2016) Reading time: 1 minute

You’ve probably seen David Černý’s 45-ton Franz Kafka statue, whether in person by Národní třída in Prague or through a number of viral videos that have spread online since it debuted in 2014. 

The 45-ton statue is a take on Kafka’s Metemorphosis, and features 42 individual metal pieces that break apart and rotate before reforming into a bust of the famed Prague-born writer.

A (very) similar Černý sculpture that debuted in Charlotte a few years earlier doubled as a water fountain, and was dubbed “Metalmorphosis.” 

Last week, MEL Films released a terrific video of the statue that features some inventive editing along with an explanation of the history behind Kafka and Černý’s work.

“[The statue] is meant to distract people from the frustrations of dealing with government employees,” the clip states.

“Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy.”

Check out the full video below:

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